M A I N   N E W S

Disappointment engulfs valley
Ehsan Fazili

Srinagar, July 17
An overwhelming wave of disappointment is visible in Kashmir following the failure of the Agra summit between India and Pakistan, which ended in a deadlock without reaching even a joint declaration last night.

“We are upset over the developments which led to the failure of talks” between India and Pakistan at Agra, says Fayaz Ahmed Bhat, a resident of the interior city. “All Kashmiris are unhappy over the failure of these talks”, he adds, as he drives his cab to and fro the Srinagar airport. He adds that the people in Kashmir had “great expectations” from the Agra summit. “There was a lot of hope generated by the two leaders of India and Pakistan over the problem in Kashmir”, he says, adding that the situation in the valley remains unchanged and “there is no end to the day-to-day killings”.

“It was expected since the very beginning of the talks”, said Bashir Ahmad, an employee of the state government. He adds the development is not a new thing to the “people of Kashmir, who are used to such things”. “We are not surprised. We are used to it”, Bashir Ahmad adds. He vociferously adds that “we have seen talks failing in the past as well otherwise the Kashmir problem would not have remained for five long decades”, for him it is “yet another normal day ... we do not take it seriously”, he comments.

Expressing her utter disappointment over the repeated issue revolving round talks and summits, Mrs Mukhti, whose husband was killed in a shootout recently, says there is “enough of bloodshed and miseries”. She adds that war is the only solution to the Kashmir problem that can decide the fate of Kashmiris.

Another housewife, Shamima, says it was expected as she points to the visit of the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf to India. “The General visited Delhi, Taj Mahal and returned after attending grand luncheons during the past three days”, she said.

Like many other important occasions like the historic cricket and hockey matches between the two neighbouring countries, a majority of the people remained glued to TV and radio watching the developments at Agra. Till late last night, the people were waiting for “something to come out of the summit”, but a wave of disappointment swept over the residents later. The developments also disappointed many a Kashmiri Pandits, a majority of whom have migrated from the valley ever since the eruption of militancy in Kashmir. “We are displaced, and there was a hope to an end to our crises due to living scattered in camps and otherwise outside Kashmir”, says Ashok Kumar, a Central government employee here. His family continues to be in Jammu, while he lives along with many other such employees guarded by the security forces in Srinagar.

But the disappointment is not the end of the road. There seems to be still hope for a section of society. “We should not be disappointed ... deadlocks in talks are but natural”, says senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party. He referred to the invitation extended to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee by the Pakistan President during the course of the Agra summit.

“If there was no Agra declaration, we hope that an Islamabad declaration will come out” when the Prime Minister visits Pakistan on the invitation of President Musharraf. “We are still hopeful”, he adds, saying that a “beginning has already been made” at the Agra summit where the two leaders having met for the first time could exchange their views on the Kashmir issue.